Of Late Nights and Obligations
by jsrsuperstar
Summary: Pansy has spent all of her life doing what will please everyone around her, but Dean Thomas finally gets her to foll her heart and feel something.


**Hello! Here is a Pansy and Dean fic! Please provide your feedback! It is much appreciated.**

All my life, I was happy with just doing and not really thinking. I behaved how my parents wanted me to behave. I believed what my parents wanted me to believe. I went where my parents wanted me to go. I learned what my parents wanted me to learn.

From what I had gathered, I became the exact replica of my mother. I didn't have any problem with being like my mother; I actually took it as a great compliment.

I was sorted into Slytherin, just like all of the other offspring in my family had been. There were several generations of Parkinson Slytherins. I floated through Hogwarts, often excelling because I longed to make my parents proud.

During the winter holiday of my 6th year, my mother and father introduced me to Yakov Novokoff, my betrothed. He was four years older than me and had graduated from Durmstrang Institute. He came from a long line of purebloods, so naturally I would marry into his family and watch the accumulated wealth and power grow.

I plastered a smile onto my face and led Yakov to our garden to try to get to know him, after all, we were going to spend the rest of our lives together.

Of course the news of my engagement spread around the Slytherins like wildfire. I was mainly trying to ignore everyone. I was just coping with the fact that I was going to have to marry Yakov 6 months after my 17th birthday. Secretly I wanted to experience love for myself. The only person I'd ever kissed was Draco when we were 12. I wasn't ready to be anyone's wife in the next 17 months.

At night, I would wake up in cold sweats; my body shaking. I had to pull myself together. My mother was the same age when she married my father. I just had to grow up, become a perfect wife, and make Yokav happy. I was suffocating under all of the expectation. I had to get out.

I rose from my bed and carefully tip-toed out of my dorm and out of the common room. I wondered aimlessly until I reached my destination. The astronomy tower was deserted. I transfigured a lone pebble into a blanket. I sprawled out on my stomach and just stared into the vast openness. I wanted to be that openness. As soon as I got married, I'd be caged in. Within the first year, he'd have me pregnant with his heir. I'd be in cute heels and pregnant. My mother still wanted me to be perfect even if I was up the duff. No Parkinson woman would ever exemplify less than perfection. It was hopeless. I'd never be able to escape.

It seemed that being a Slytherin had all been a waste. I wouldn't be able to become a healer like I had planned. My ambitious nature seemed stupid now. I'd never be able to act upon my hopes and my dreams.

I heard foot steps behind me and quickly reached for my wand.

"Who's there? Don't come any closer!"

"It's Dean. Who are you?"

"Pansy."

"Just put your wand down, I'm gonna step closer."

"Gryffindor, right?" I snorted

"We're not all as terrible as you seem to think. Slytherin?"

"My destiny."

"So what brings you all alone to the top of the astronomy tower?" He paced the floor behind me. He seemed very lively for what was the middle of the night.

"I should be asking you the same thing."

"I'm always here this time of night?" I tilted my head to the side. This Dean was slightly peculiar.

"Why?"

"I just always have a lot on my mind and I come here to…y'know… clear my head."

"Oh."

"How about you, Parkinson?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"You really look like you need someone to talk to."

"How do I know that you're not just gonna go blab to one of your little buddies?"

"You've just gotta trust me."

"Trust you? I just formally met you 2 minutes ago."

"So. I promise to keep your words to myself."

"…You obviously have a lot to learn about Slytherins."

"Maybe I do, but I think you really need to let whatever it is you're holding inside go. I'm a really good listener."

"You really don't give up, do you?"

"Well Miss Parkinson, you've got a lot to learn about Gryffindors."

I don't know what it was about that boy, but against my better judgment, I invited him to sit with me on my blanket and I poured my heart and soul out to him. He listened to me. Every word that came out of my life was processed by his ears. He didn't seem annoyed by me. He didn't think I was selfish for not wanting to marry some stranger. He even offered sound advice. At the end of my venting session, he offered me a hug. I readily accepted it. Somehow he knew I needed it.

For the next several months until the summer holiday, I would always walk up to the astronomy tower and wait for him, some days he would be there before me with some muggle candy that he wanted me to try.

Our conversations ranged from silly, to serious, or to intellectual. There was never a boring moment with the brazen Londoner.

On our last night together before leaving to spend the summer at our respective homes, Dean had draped an arm over my shoulders and pulled me close to him. I'd be lying if I said that the past months that we spent together had not made me grow very fond of the handsome boy. He was wonderful. Each time I thought about my impending marriage, I felt a hot fury build up inside of me. I'd never get a chance to see if someone like Dean Thomas could love me.

Dean's other hand wrapped around my waist.

"Dean. What are you doing?"

"Pansy, I can't help it. I know you have to marry Yakov, but I just wanted to kiss you before it's considered cheating. I really really like you and it sucks because there's nothing I can do about it." I cradled his strong jaw in my hand and gently placed my lips against his. My heart jolted in ways that it did not when I saw Yakov. Dean brushed his tongue against my closed lips. I slowly opened my mouth and let him in. He explored every inch of my mouth and I crawled into his lap and he cradled me in his arms like I was the most precious thing in the world to him.

After several minutes, he broke apart from me and we had to cool down or else we were going to do something we were both going to regret. He walked me to the entrance of the Slytherin common room.

"Pansy, I'm really going to miss you."

"I know. I'll miss you too."

"I didn't want to tell you like this, but…."

"Dean, be honest with me. Tell me."

"I can't come back to Hogwarts next year."

"What? But your father's a wizard!"

"I know that, but there's no record of that."

"Dean…" It was the closest I had ever come to crying in front of another person.

"Pansy, if you're married by the time we ever meet up again, I hope that you'll be able to remember us. Don't let your role as his wife break you. Stay how you are Pansy, if you don't remember anything else."

"Dean, I will. And you remember this: Be careful. Don't be a Gryffindor! You have _some _Slytherin in you. Protect yourself so that one day we can see each other again."

"I will...So I guess this is it. Would it be completely tactless if I asked you for one more kiss?"

"Maybe a little bit, but I'm infatuated with you." We shared a final kiss and it was then that I prayed for Dean's safety every day.

To my complete and absolute joy, the wedding had to be postponed until much later after the war. That school year had been absolute hell without seeing Dean across the room or meeting him for their nightly chats. I spent most of my time thinking whether or not he was safe.

It turned out that the Novokoffs were highly involved with Voldemort. Yakov spent a weekend with my family before he had to leave on a special mission for Voldemort before the final battle.

"So this wedding. I'm so sorry it has to be pushed back."

"No, it's quite alright."

"Wait. Are you having second thoughts?"

"What? No. I never said that."

"You don't sound very convincing, Dear."

"What are you talking about?" So suddenly he gripped me by the throat and I was a flurry of emotions. I tried to pry his cold hands from my throat so I could breathe.

"Bitch, don't you ever talk back to me! You're an ingrate! You're lucky to have me as a husband and if I find out that you're being a common whore while I'm away, I'll kill you." He flung me down onto the floor and I picked myself up and dusted myself off, just like I had seen my mother do many times before. And in that moment I had the one thought that Dean would never do that to me.

Yakov left to participate at the Battle of Hogwarts and I was left alone in hiding with my mother and little sister.

The time I spent away from my home filled me with dread and I prayed that Dean would be safe and that somehow Yakov would not come back for me.

When we got news that Voldemort had been defeated, I put on my façade of complete disappointment, but on the inside I was elated. I held my breath as I waited for news of the survivors.

My mother brought us back to our home, which had been destroyed. Everything that I had ever known had been run to the ground. The wards were non existent. My sister shed tears and was scolded accordingly.

My mother made Elsie and I wait by our property. I was utterly exhausted, I wanted nothing more than to collapse onto a bed, any bed and await my fate.

Elsie poked me in the side and pointed to a figure that was looming towards us.

"Stay here. Don't move til I come back."

"But he could be-"

"Elsie. Stay here."

I approached the figure with my wand raised, ever cautious.

"Who are you?"

"Remember that's what you said when we first became friends."

"Dean?" I asked, my excitement spilling forth.

"Hi Pansy, It's me." I ran into his arms and let him lift me into the air.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? God, I've missed you!"

"I missed you too." He whispered into my hair. I closed my eyes as I let his voice fill my ears. I had been without Dean for close to 10 months and each new second I spent with him made me want to stay close to him for ever.

"I thought I'd never be able to see you again." He pulled me tighter into his body.

"Come away with me. I can't let you marry Yokav… I love you."

"Dean, I can't do that…I really care for you…my family, they'll disown me. I'll have nothing."

"Pansy, just take a chance! I'll make sure you don't give up on those dreams. You can be a healer and I'll give you everything that I have to make you happy. Please."

"What about my sister?"

"She's 15, she's old enough to protect herself. Please Pansy." This was the craziest thing that I had ever done. I was going to give up everything to spend the rest of my life with Dean Thomas. My head told me to walk away from Dean and wait for my fiancé to return so I could live comfortably in domestic protection.

But my heart was way more powerful. I was going to live the rest of my days on Dean's arm. He would support me and love me through everything. I ran back to my sister to subtly say goodbye.

"Hey Elsie, tell mother that I'll be back much later ."

"Where are you going? Mother said to stay-"

"I know what she said, but I have somewhere I have to go. I promise you won't get in trouble, just stay here. I love you and I want you to follow your heart when the time comes." She nodded her head in the affirmative and I walked closer to Dean. He grasped my hand and apparated us to a small cottage in a wooded area that didn't look familiar to me.

"Is this yours?"

"Yes, it belonged to my father's family."

"So are we actually doing this? Did I actually just run away from my responsibilities?"

"Well, I don't want to freak you out, but yeah, you just did."

"That was so unlike me. What am I going to do?"

"Whatever the hell we want."

**Hope you enjoyed. Please tell me if you'd like an epilogue. :)**


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